In Our Time

In Our Time Essay Questions

Argue for or against the claim that the book is a collection of short stories rather than a coherent novel. What is the evidence of coherence or incoherence?

3

What is the experience of fatherhood among fathers, their wives, and their children in the book?

4

How does the theme of war pervade the novel, even when its violence is inconspicuous?

5

Does Hemingway portray death as an escape or as punishment in these stories?

6

Can one identify any elements of a hero's code in the book? Does anyone seem to be identified as a hero by any specific criteria?

7

Track the different resonances and symbolism of fishing or skiing in the book.

8

How does Hemingway employ form and style to affect the reader? Be specific and include examples.

9

What relationship does Hemingway develop between youth and war?

10

Many of the stories in this book deal with personal loss. How do various characters deal with these experiences, and what can these stories tell us about Hemingway's perspective on people and their suffering?

Hemingway expands (think the word constellation as in something large) on the main conflicts that all men experience regardless of time and regardless of place. Everyone worries about how they fit into the world (cosmos); this statement is saying...

"Cat In the Rain" examines another strained and unhappy marriage. The American couple stays at a hotel that faces a war monument, and once again it rains. The rain suggests dreariness. The wife looks out the window and sees a cat. She decides to...